You’ll love the hot and spicy St Germain Ginger Margarita

Cocktail recipes have not been difficult to find for many years.  One could argue that there are too many of them.  There are cocktail databases on the web with thousands of recipes (many of them not very good) and blogs by respected cocktailians with their own recipes and often some of the classics (many of these are very good indeed).  Sometimes the cocktail menu at a bar or restaurant will present some good ideas, as well as an opportunity to sample one or two.  This was the case when a family get-together decided on dinner at Kay ‘n Dave’s Mexican Cantina in Culver City, where an item on the Margarita menu caught my eye: the St Germain Ginger Margarita.

This was one hot and spicy cocktail (thanks to the ginger), and while some ingredients were listed on the menu, all you really needed to know about the ingredients was given away in the name.  It was easy to build a recipe based on the 2:1:1 ratio of the classic Margarita.  Just substitute St Germaine elderflower-based liqueur for the more pedestrian Triple Sec, add some ginger, and you are on your way.  If you haven’t used ginger in a cocktail before, you can find cubed ginger preparation instructions here. If you’re worried that the ginger flavor may be overwhelming, feel free to start out with a little less than specified and work your way up.  A final caution: many of my Tequila cocktail recipes use Agave Nectar as a sweetener, but it’s not recommended here because it easily overwhelms the more subtle florals of the St Germain. So with a tip of the hat to Kay ‘n Dave, here’s my version of the St Germain Ginger Margarita.

St Germain Ginger Margarita

• 2 oz Plata or Blanco Tequila (use your favorite)
• 1 oz Saint Germain Liqueur
• 1 oz Freshly squeezed Lime juice
• 1 Tsp Simple Syrup
• 1 Tbsp finely cubed fresh ginger

Combine the Tequila, St Germain, and Lime juice in a shaker 2/3 full of ice.  Shake well and let it rest.  Put the syrup and ginger in a well-chilled cocktail glass and mull thoroughly to release the ginger flavor.  Fill the glass ½ full with ice cubes and fill about half full from the shaker. Stir well to mix in the ginger and syrup, add  a little more ice and the remaining contents of the shaker and stir again.  Garnish with a lime wedge and serve with a smile.